Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic’s habits recently got put on blast by unnamed sources who were around the Slovenian during the tail end of his stint playing for the Dallas Mavericks.
“Make no mistake, the people who witnessed Dončić’s last days in Dallas do not paint a flattering portrait of the 25-year-old’s professionalism,” The Athletic’s Sam Amick wrote. “They call him lazy. They talk about the weight issues that were such a frequent frustration within their walls. They mention the social habits that The Athletic has reported on — such as a taste for beer and hookah — which have been a point of concern for NBA types since he was a 19-year-old star for Real Madrid who was entering the draft. They predict his basketball demise, highlighting a health history that, as some see it, will likely lead to catastrophe in the next five years or so.”
Photos of Doncic seemingly using a hookah have surfaced before.
hookah doncic pic.twitter.com/EKRYAdWznE
— buckets (@buckets) August 27, 2021
Additionally, after Doncic and the Mavericks came out on top over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the 2024 Western Conference Finals and thus stamped their ticket to the NBA Finals, he celebrated by enjoying a beer. That ended when Mavericks executive Michael Finley swiped the beer out of his hand.
Luka was enjoying a post W beer with his dad before Mavs VP, Michael Finley, took it away 😂
(via @GrantAfseth) pic.twitter.com/uirmr8f4HJ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 31, 2024
It’s worth noting that Mavericks part-owner Mark Cuban cleared the air several months ago by claiming that Finley simply didn’t want the face of the franchise having a beer in his hand when he was on camera doing interviews. Cuban seemed to suggest that Finley was just looking out for Doncic.
Mark Cuban explains why Michael Finley took Luka’s beer after the WCF 🤣
Full episode here: https://t.co/q9bUkveGUj pic.twitter.com/Z7d6sd8s2q
— Roommates Show (@Roommates__Show) August 30, 2024
Doncic’s apparent beer and hookah habits might not be particularly good ones, but there’s not a lot of proof that those habits negatively impacted his availability or production with the Mavericks.
He was a legitimate star for the entirety of his time in Dallas. Doncic earned five All-Star nods, five All-NBA selections, a Rookie of the Year award and one scoring title as a Maverick. Furthermore, he was relatively durable, as he never suited up in fewer than 60 games in any of his six full seasons with the franchise.
Doncic reminded the Mavericks and general manager Nico Harrison of the talent they decided to part ways with when he dropped a triple-double against his former team on Tuesday. He racked up 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists in a game the Lakers went on to win by a final score of 107-99.
The 25-year-old is set to play at the American Airlines Center for the first time as a member of the opposition when Los Angeles takes on Dallas once again on April 9.
